TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iran’s oil, gas and petrochemical industries are at the forefront of fighting an economic war that the enemy has waged against the Islamic Republic, President Hassan Rouhani said.

Speaking at a ceremony marking the inauguration of a number of petrochemical plants in Iran’s southern city of Assalouyeh on Tuesday, Rouhani said, “Today (there is an) economic and psychological war (waged) against the Iranian nation, and on the frontline of this war are the sectors that carry the economic burdens, most notably the oil, gas and petrochemical industries.”

Highlighting his administration’s efforts to help maintain producing and exporting oil and petrochemical products, the president said it is necessary to avoid selling crude oil and to produce more valuable products by attracting local and foreign investment.

Slamming the hostile plot to recreate the pre-Islamic Revolution conditions in Iran, Rouhani said the enemies could never overpower the Iranian nation.

He further hailed the new projects in Assalouyeh as a sign of Iran’s progress, saying the plants have created more than 1,300 direct jobs and are going to help the country reap billions of dollars in revenue.

Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei has described the US rhetoric of military action on Iran as a ploy to distract attention from the real war against the Islamic Republic, i.e. the economic battle.

The Leader has called on the Iranian officials to focus their efforts on the country’s economic progress, stressing that economy is the top priority in the short run.